March 12–13, 2026
Invited Speaker
Amanda Griffith-Atkins, LMFT, PMHC
Mom to a disabled child.
Marriage and family therapist. Author.
Advocate for parents.
About Amanda Griffith-Atkins
Amanda Griffith-Atkins is a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Amanda Atkins Counseling Group in Chicago. After her newborn son was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, Amanda experienced firsthand the complex grief, identity shifts, and isolation that can accompany parenting a disabled child.
Recognizing a gap in support for parents navigating similar journeys, she committed her work to helping families find steadiness, honesty, and self-compassion in the hardest seasons. Today, Amanda specializes in parenting, grief and loss, and couples therapy. She is also an in-demand speaker and author of How To Handle More Than You Can Handle, and lives in Chicago with her husband and three sons.
Symposium
Caring for the Whole System: A Family Systems Approach to Disability
Care
Amanda Griffith-Atkins, LMFT, PMHC
Thursday, March 12 | 9:50AM to 10:50AM | 60 MINUTES | LIVE
When one family member lives with a disability, the demands of caregiving often reshape roles, relationships, and emotional capacity across the entire household. This presentation will help clinicians better understand the lived experience of caregiving and how chronic stress can affect communication, trust, and engagement with care teams. Participants will leave with practical, relationship centered strategies for partnering with parents and caregivers, improving communication, and supporting more sustainable, family-centered care.
Program Details
Learning Objectives
Objective 1:
Describe at least three ways chronic caregiving stress impacts caregiver functioning and family relationships.
Objective 2:
Implement at least two evidence-informed communication strategies that reduce
caregiver defensiveness and increase collaboration in care planning.
Objective 3:
Differentiate between caregiver stress responses and resistance in clinical settings.
Elevate Your Impact is Catalight’s annual virtual conference, dedicated to advancing person-centered care for individuals with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DDs). Offering continuing education to those who qualify, the conference features a dynamic mix of live sessions and on-demand content, providing a flexible learning experience. Elevate Your Impact is an opportunity to connect with thought leaders, gain insights and optimize care outcomes in behavioral health.